Question

What contributed to the decline of the Chola dynasty?

1. Local chiefs gaining prominence
2. Frequent Pandya invasions
3. The rise of the Hoysalas

• A. i, ii
• B. ii only
• C. All
• D. i only

Answer 1

Answer:

A. i, ii

The Decline and Fall of the Chola Dynasty

• The seeds of decline of the Chola Dynasty were sown towards the end of the twelfth century when local chiefs began to rise in prominence.
• These local leaders weakened the centralized power of the Chola monarchy, making the empire more vulnerable to external threats.
  
  
• One such external threat came in the form of frequent Pandya invasions.
• The Pandya kingdom, a neighboring power in South India, posed a formidable challenge to the once-mighty Chola empire.
• These invasions not only eroded the Cholas' territorial control but also diminished their influence in the region.
• A pivotal moment in the Chola dynasty's decline occurred in 1264 when Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I, a ruler of the Pandya kingdom, sacked Gangaikonda Chozhapuram, the Chola capital.
• This event was a severe blow to the Cholas, as it marked the capture of their symbolic and administrative center.
• With the loss of Kanchipuram and the capture of Gangaikonda Chozhapuram, the remaining Chola territories began to fall like dominos into the hands of the Pandyan king.
  
  
• The final chapter in the Chola dynasty's history was written in 1279 when King Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I defeated the last Chola king, Rajendra Chola III.
• This marked the end of Chola rule and the establishment of Pandya supremacy in the region.